


Horizon Zero Dawn: Magic of the Outcast

by VioletKatana



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Horizon: Zero Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: Crossover, outcasts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-07-29
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:47:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24604915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VioletKatana/pseuds/VioletKatana
Summary: When the High Matriarchs heard the sounds of crying, they found two babes in-front of the All-Mother. Were they a gift from the Goddess, or a curse, placed there by the Metal Devils? Both were made outcasts, entrusted in the hands of Rost to raise them as such.
Comments: 7
Kudos: 40





	1. Prologue

Rost has been awake for almost an hour, looking down at the two babes that has been entrusted to him almost two seasons ago. A girl, with red tuffs of hair that would be fussy if anything was wrong, yet she was inquisitive about the world around her. The other babe, a boy with less hair than his cradle-mate and not as fussy, had a strange wound that didn’t heal well upon his brow.

Today was the day that Rost would finally perform the naming ritual for them. Traditionally their mothers would have been the ones to undergo the rituals, unfortunately they had none. In fact, the High Matriarchs never told him about who birthed them when they made the babes outcasts, nor did he question it.

As an outcast himself, it wasn’t his place to do so. Only to follow the laws and the will of the All-Mother as they dictate. Hearing a soft babble, Rost smiled softly at the boy as he tried to wobble himself upright. It wasn’t long before the girl was awake as well, waving her arms around to attempt turn over.

With a chuckle, the man went about making sure both of them was fed and attended to before taking the pair outside. They made their dislike for the cold clear as Rost placed them into the carrier Matriarch Teersa gave to him, despite his unwillingness to accept it.

“Neither of you like the cold too much, do you? We can’t stay in today, we have a ritual to perform,” Rost informed them, even if they couldn’t understand him yet. He presented to them necklaces, with a brief pain in his heart as Rost explained how it used to be one and whole, “It belonged to my daughter and now her blessings will be shared between you.”

It took a moment to strap the two babes to his back. Once Rost was certain that they were in no danger of falling off, he grabbed his spear before setting off, “Today I speak your names, children. Would the Goddess allow it? Normally it would have been your mothers, if you had one. The whole village would attend and the Matriarchs would perform the ritual. But, we are outcasts.”

The boy babbled softly as if he was trying to sooth the man’s soul. The girl made a little fuss at the idea of being an outcast. Rost allowed himself a small smile before crossing an open plain, keeping his eyes out for any signs of danger, of which there were many.

“The faithless Old’s one turned their back on the Goddess, but they were doomed without her blessings. We, who stayed faithful to the All-Mother, were left the splendours of creation,” Rost explained, pointing out to the animals of the lands. Both the babes expressed their excitement at seeing something new, the girl was giggling at the turkey that ran away and the boy garbled as he saw a rabbit race across the path.

“To hunt beasts is one thing, they can be easy to trap if you know how. It is another to hunt machines. You must be humble and respect their power,” Rost said to the pair, as he climbed up the side of a cliff which allowed the babes to see more of the lands.

And the machines that roams it.

Rost knows that one day he will teach the children how to hunt and defend themselves from such. That was in the far into the future, for now, they needed names. After the climb, it was only a matter of walking the rest of the way to the shine atop the mountain.

As Rost approached the shine, he spotted High Matriarch Teersa walking quickly towards him as he kneels down before her. Does she mean to forbid the ritual?

“No, off your knees! It’s nearly time, hard enough with one and even harder with two! And yes, you may speak to me!” the High Matriarch demanded, almost pulling the bigger man along.

“You came to bless the naming?” Rost hurriedly asked.

“Of course I did, six months has gone by since we entrusted them to you,” Teersa ushered him to the altar, helping him undo the straps for the carrier.

“But we are outcasts,” Rost frowned at the woman, she was certainly acting outside tribal laws today.

“You, by choice. Them, well… I am a High Matriarch, Rost. I bless whom I choose,” Teersa shrugged as she marked them both with the Nora’s naming paint.

“You honour the three of us,” Rost started to speak but the woman cut him off with a wave.

“Yes, yes, now go! And be ready to declare their names one after the other, as clearly as you can!” Teersa commanded, as she started the blessing, “All-Mother, these children needs a name by which to know them, that your love may warm their life as the rising sun warms all the earth! Speak their names!”

“ALOY! HARRY!” Rost shouted as loud as he could, basking the children in the sunrise. For a moment, the man wondered if the Goddess will accept their names. Aloy was an odd name for a girl, but no means unheard of. As for Harry, that name is unknown in the Nora tribe. He thought long and hard on it, only hearing of it after a dream, nay a nightmare perhaps.

Rost’s fears were put to rest as the Goddess spoke back their names, several times their names were blessed by the All-Mother. This was indeed a good sign for Harry and Aloy. Now they have their names, and not a single soul can undo the blessings.

It couldn’t even been ruined by High Matriarch Lansra who strongly opposed against it as she arrived at the shrine, “Blessing both their names, like one of the Nora! You’ll bring a curse upon us Teersa!”

“And leave the children without names? Regardless of status, every child should have a name,” Jeezza tried to reason, but it was all background noise to Rost as he stared at Harry and Aloy in his arms.

“I know my duty to them and to you two. Harry, Aloy, I’m here for you. And wherever you go, I will follow to the unknown.”


	2. Strangeness

A young Harry was staring into the fire pit, having added a block of wood to the dying embers. He was woken up by Rost this morning to rouse him out of the nightmare he had. It was the same one again as the night before, just a bright green flash unlike anything he’s seen.

“I see you added more wood to the fire. Good, we can put the rabbits to use,” Rost said as he prepped the pot to place over the fire while Harry went to grab the meat. It didn’t take long for Rost to show Harry what’s good to eat and what isn’t. Hunters should ensure everything is used, from the skin, right down to the marrow within the bones.

“What will we use the skin for this time?” Harry asked, as he peered at pile of rabbit meat.

“They’re not suitable for clothing on their own, but I do plan on making sure you both have a pouch each. You can store some herbs and berries in there for when we go gathering,” Rost explained as he dumped the meat in the pot, causing the pot to sizzle as he stirred. Hearing a long yawn, Harry turned his head toward the cabin, seeing Aloy scowl at the light as she rubbed her eyes.

“Morning Aloy, Rost is cooking a rabbit stew!” Harry smiled, knowing it was one of her favourite meal to eat.

“Really?” Aloy asked as she got closer to the fire-pit, able to smell the cooking meat, “There’s no water in it, how can it be a stew?”

“We have to make sure the meat is cooked all the way through. See how dark it is? That is what you need before you add anything else to it,” Rost cooked the rabbit through and added the water, telling the children to gently put in some vegetables and herbs at the man’s order, “Now we must leave it for a while. Come, we will go through your exercises.”

Harry and Aloy scrambled to their feet and took positions, ensuring that they listened to Rost carefully as he guided them through their paces. They jogged, jumped, rolled and fell as Rost told them to. Rost had often worried that he may be too rough on them, occasionally manhandling them to ensure the correct positions. It wasn’t that he wanted to hurt them and the children never complained of any pain so surely that was a good sign?

Aloy had once accused him of being mean and horrible, some time ago. The man knew that the children would eventually say something of the kind but it still didn’t hurt any less. Once Rost calmed the girl down, he explained to both children that he wanted to make sure that they could protect themselves, even if they ran away from the danger.

If it meant their survival, then so be it.

Rost checked on the pot of stew, making sure it was done before telling the children to grab their bowls. As they jogged to the pit, Harry tripped over an unseen rock that slid under his foot and with a cry, fell to the floor. Rost was quick to check on the boy, “Only a small scrape, boy.”

“T-the bowl, I b-broke it. I’m sorry,” Harry sniffled and wiped at his eyes to stop the tears before picking up the split pieces of wood.

“It is only wood, we can make a new one. Fear not, boy,” Rost re-assured harry, as the child kept pushing the two halves together.

“But you made this for me,” Harry murmured as he frowned at the bowl. Why did it break? Why can’t he just fix it?!

“Rost can make another, right Rost?” Aloy suggested, as Rost was about to speak again. Instead, a strangled gasp came from the man as he watched the split meld, the bowl becoming whole once more.

“How did you do that?” Aloy asked, looking at the mended bowl. Harry was just too shocked to even speak as Rost took the bowl out of his hands and inspected it. Finding no faults, he filled it up with the stew and handed it back, repeating the action twice more.

Eating in silence, Harry keep looking towards Rost who looked to be deep in his thoughts. It didn’t take long to finish eating and when they were done, both of them were told to play for a while, as long as it was within the boundaries of their home.

Aloy has already rushed towards the gates while Harry stopped to look at his guardian, unsure what to say or do, so he simply said, “I’m sorry, Rost. I know that the strangeness upset you…”

“Do not be sorry,” Rost murmured quietly, much to Harry’s shock, “I must seek the Goddess’s wisdom, so I can make sure we are on the right path. Do not worry about me, boy. Go, play with Aloy. This is something I must do for myself.”

Harry gave a hesitant smile before running off to find Aloy, who was currently “hunting” a turkey, which flapped its wings as it ran away from its spot.

“Ah, you scared it off!” Aloy complained as Harry neared her. 

“Did not, it saw you,” Harry replied. Aloy rolled her eyes before crouching again, “I still don’t know why you really want one as a pet, they’re stupid. They can’t even fly!”

“Maybe, but I need to catch one first,” Aloy shrugged. They always have the same argument about the animals they hunt, “Beside I’ve gotten closer to a turkey than you. You never got close to a single rabbit!”

“I nearly did once! They’re faster than your dumb turkey,” Harry mumbled as he didn’t deny his failures.

“Are you in trouble? With the… strangeness?” Aloy winced at the word, it didn’t feel right to call it that. However it was the only word that came close to describing what Harry could do. Aloy remembered the time when Rost’s beard turned blue, the same strong colour the Nora tribe used. Harry gotten very upset then, thinking he has cursed the man, only getting relief a few hours later when the colour faded.

“I think he’s going pray to All-Mother, he needs wisdom,” Harry shrugged as he poked at the floor with a stick, “I don’t know why All-Mother would give me this curse.”

“Aren’t curses meant to hurt?” Aloy wondered out loud before dismissing the idea, “You never hurt me or Rost, so don’t worry about the strangeness, okay? Let’s go and play Braves!”

Harry reluctantly accepted her help to get up but it didn’t take long for the two six years old to start pretending they were Braves, fighting the deadly machines, shouting and brandishing sticks that were more than enough to take the imaginary creatures down.

Soon enough, the two young outcasts found themselves just on the edge of the boundary set by Rost. They knew not to go further than the trees with the carving of a trio of symbols, the first letter in their names and encircled in blue paint. Harry spotted the small group of children that was gathering berries first, pulling Aloy down with him as they crouched down.

“I see a woman, do you think she’s their mother?” Aloy pointed out as they peered from the bushes.

“Maybe? Or she’s watching them. Think we could help?”

It took but a moment for the two children to gather berries from nearby before they crossed over the boundary line. As they ducked under the fence, the other children stared at Harry and Aloy as they presented their collection of berries to the woman. The woman turned and was surprised to see them both. She’ll see how helpful the two were, maybe they could play with the other children after this.

“Children, come! They’re outcasts and to be shunned. Follow me,” the woman spoke as the other children walked around Harry and Aloy, giving the two outcasts sneers and looks of disgust.

“But, don’t you want the berries?” Harry asked, taking a step forward, causing the woman to step back in disgust.

“Ignore them children, we’ll go to a better spot,” the woman guided the children away, complimenting them on their gathering skills, “Ah well done Bast, you really are a true hunter-gatherer, aren’t you?”

“Did we do something wrong?” Aloy sniffed before throwing the berries away and stormed off with Harry close behind her, just as upset, “Let’s g-go home.”

“HARRY! ALOY!” Rost shouted, calling the two children back. They would have been fine to head home if it wasn’t for the swirling emotions that tore at the pair of them, causing them to be unaware of their surroundings. The trees blurred and the path turned from stones to grass as they ran towards their guardian.

Harry could just see Rost coming towards them, waving them over towards him. They didn’t stop in their pace to get to him, both wanting comfort and contact after the upset they suffered.

“SLOW DOWN! NOOO!”

It was as if time went very slowly as Aloy tripped over a large tree root, taking Harry along with her as they fell into a cave tunnel, crying out with every thud and bump before splashing into a pool of water, unable to hear Rost screaming their names.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN 18/06/20: Minor edits and corrections.


	3. The Ruins

Harry and Aloy gasped for air as they scrambled towards the edge of the water, dragging themselves onto hard ground to rest for a moment.

Breathing deeply, Aloy stood as she surveyed the area, her nose scrunching as she noticed the little mammals scurrying at the edge of the cave, "Eww, rats! Rost! ROST!"

"I don't think he can hear us. He was shouting our names before we fell in," Harry rubbed his head, hissing at the pain throbbing from his right arm where there was a jagged cut. His blood dripped down his arm, his eyes drawn to the dark colour before he clamped his hand over the cut.

"You're bleeding!" Aloy said, quickly taking off her scarf to wrap around the wound, remembering the lessons Rost taught them about being hurt. While it was clumsily wrapped, it was tied tight enough stop the blood from flowing until they got out.

"Thank you, Aloy," Harry said quietly, glad that Aloy wasn't at all freaked out by the sight of blood. The red-head shrugged with a small smile before looking around the place, now that they didn't have the injury to worry about.

"I think we could get through," Aloy said as she pulled Harry along gently as they just about squeezed through the tunnel. Suddenly, the sharp sound of flapping wings made their presence known as bats flew past the children. Aloy shrieked as she pressed her head to Harry's chest, much to the boy's amusement.

"They're gone, let's keep going," Harry prompted as they continued onward, seeing stone merge into metal as they stepped into a room, long forgotten about by humanity as nature reclaimed it.

"Harry, this must be a ruin of the Metal World! Rost told us to never go into places like these," Aloy said excitedly, although her apprehension was clear enough.

"We fell in! Besides, we need to find a way out," Harry reasoned to the girl, seeing more of her excitement come back. As much as Harry had a "strangeness", it would be fair to say that Aloy's equivalent would be her attraction to the Metal World and the Old Ones. She used to question Rost constantly for a while before being told to put a stop to it, not that that deterred her from trying to find out more on her own.

Wading through the shallow waters, the children made their way through another flooded room and climbed up metal stairs infused with stone. Stalactites and stalagmites were prominent here, decorating the floor, walls and ceilings as they forced the children to go onwards.

Aloy was the first to notice the centuries old corpse in the middle of the new room, along with a shiny object on the dead person's head. Picking it up, Aloy fiddled with device, wondering what it could be.

"What's that, Aloy?" Harry asked, seeing the small white triangle in the girl's hand.

"I don't know. I think I can hear something," Aloy muttered as she neared the device to her right ear. Falling with a yelp, she drew her hand away as the device was dropped.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked, checking if Aloy had hurt herself as he helped her up back to her feet.

"It's so strange, there was lights," Aloy explained slowly, still uncertain herself as she picked the device up and placed it back near her ear. Harry watched as the device attached itself to just before Aloy's ear and saw how her face lit up, "Wow, there's lights everywhere! How does it work?"

Harry watched Aloy with concern, babbling about the lights that wasn't there, "Aloy, I can't see anything."

"Maybe you have to use the device to see them?" Aloy shrugged before looking around, "There's a door there, it looks like it's connected to something?"

Aloy rushed to the other side of the broken wall, pausing before she started moving her arms around. At this point, Harry was wondering if the girl had gone mad if it wasn't for the fact that the door before him lit up and slowly creaked opened.

"I opened the door! The light changes colours. I think they have to match to open," Aloy explained to Harry, taking her word for it as he was yet to see these lights Aloy claimed about, however he refrained from saying anything as the girl led them onward.

Another flight of stairs saw them going down, before facing another door. When the door opened this time, the stale smell of preserved death was quick to linger in their noses. Aloy walked slowly as she approached this more preserved corpse. Harry watched yet again as she giggled at whatever she saw, "Show me again!"

"Aloy, please stop! I'm worried about you, seeing lights and talking to the air," Harry pleaded, no longer willing to watch Aloy succumb to the madness of the Metal World.

"I'm not making it up!" Aloy shot back as she got closer to the corpse, finding another device on their head, "Here, try it."

Harry looked at the grey tinted device in his hand, before sliding his eyes over to the girl, who only nodded enthusiastically. With a heavy sigh, Harry placed the device near his ear, jumping at the sensation of it attaching to the side of his head before looking around. There was indeed strange lights around the room that Aloy mentioned, writing and pictures littered the wall.

Harry was about to look more closely when the lights flickered out as the device fizzled out with a pop and the boy had no problem throwing it far away from him. Aloy almost looked offended if it wasn't for the fact that she had saw the sparks coming out from the device.

"Sorry, Aloy, I thought you were going mad. But, I saw the lights! So strange. I wonder why your one is working and that one didn’t?" Harry wondered as he looked around the room again, already missing how colourful the room looked.

"I don't know. Maybe, they're just really, really old? There might be more, want to try them?" Aloy asked, much to Harry's agreement. The next device didn't last nearly as long before violently popping, scaring the children. Before long, there was three of fizzled out devices and two confused children.

"I don't understand. That last one worked fine for you, Aloy," Harry huffed lightly, as he poked one of the broken devices.

"I know, but there is one more in that room over there," Aloy pointed, as Harry wandered in that direction. Entering the room, he felt a slight shiver at the back of his neck as he looked around the small room and located the body the device was attached to.

Pulling it off the head, Harry slowly placed it next to his ear, expecting another violent pop. When none occurred, he looked around the room, glad that he was able to see the lights again like Aloy. It really was fascinating, seeing how the Old Ones might have lived.

He was about to leave when two people glowed into existence, a man who sat in the same chair as the corpse and a woman hovering in mid-air, flicking in and out of existence.

 _"I'm sorry it came to this,"_ The woman spoke softly as she looked down to the man.

 _"You and me both. Did I ever thank you for my Focus?"_ The man tapped the device as he frowned, " _I probably didn't, I think we were both so busy back then. Besides…"_

 _"No thanks required, it was rather fun to tweak to make them work for us… Do you think it'll be enough?"_ the woman asked. Harry was confused by their conversation but carried on watching, seeing Aloy come in from the corner of his eye.

 _"I don't know. But we have to try right? For everyone?"_ the man seemed to be trying his best to keep his calm, looking around guiltily, _"Rations won't last for much longer. I brewed a few batches of living death, for any-one that wants it. Better than starving to death."_

 _"It won't come to that! After everything we've been through, we can't give up hope now. Even when H-Zzzt-"_ The woman was cut off as they both disappeared.

"Did you see all of that?" Harry asked Aloy who nodded, explaining how she saw a man wearing a funny hat and making funny noises before, "The woman 'tweek' the device thing, I think the man had the same problem as me."

"Maybe. We should go now," Aloy said as she hesitantly pulled at Harry. Harry felt the same way, he knew Rost would be out of his mind with worry for them but he didn't want to leave just yet. There was so much to explore, he understood now why Aloy was so attracted to the Metal World.

"We can come back again, right now, I want to go home," Harry compromised as they made their way out of the room. Old stories were sent to their devices as they passed tables with different devices that played voices or just strange writing.

"ALOY! HARRY!"

"Rost! He found us!" Aloy piped up happily as they raced out of the metal rooms and onto natural stone and dirt. Aloy clambered up the small hill before the hole as Rost pulled her out, "Harry hurt his arm, I wrapped it up with my scarf."

Rost pulled Harry out by his left arm, demanding to see where Harry was hurt. Unwrapping the scarf, he looked at the wound carefully, before wrapping it back up, "It's not very deep, but we will clean it out. It was good that you wrapped it up, well done girl."

Aloy blushed at the praise, looking to Harry with a smile and causing the light to glint off her new device, "What is that?"

"I don't know," Aloy denied the existence of the device as she covered it with her hand. Harry nervously laughed, Aloy was a terrible liar when it came to Rost but he wasn't going to get rid of his either.

"Did it come from down there?"

"…No?"

"Children… Such things can be dangerous. Hand them over," Rost insisted, putting out his hands expecting at least Harry to follow his request. He was shocked when the boy stepped back with Aloy, clutching at his device as well.

"They… It helped us. There was a door…" Harry trailed off, making sure that Rost's attention was on him instead of Aloy, who sidestepped to hide behind Harry, "I couldn't see anything, but Aloy did. If she didn't pick up the devices, we could have been stuck there for a long time."

"And these… 'Devices' helped you leave the ruins?" Rost asked sceptically, not entirely sure if this was a story of a child or if it was indeed the mechanisms of the Old World.

Seeing the growing curiosity on both children, he already knew that if he tried to stop them from going back there, they would do it behind his back. Making it clear there was no room for arguments, "If you're going to go off… exploring, then you'll need to learn to survive in the wild properly. Come, time to go home. But starting tomorrow, you're both are going to learn how to hunt."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a short note to say thank you to everyone that had started following this story and the for the Kudos! Feel free to comment/review your thoughts on the story so far. Having said that... Horizon: Forbidden West looks amazing!
> 
> AN 18/06/20: Minor Edits and Corrections.


	4. Learning to Hunt Part 1

It didn’t take the trio of outcasts long to get back home where Rost cleaned and wrapped Harry’s injury. With a hearty meal of roasted turkey and hot potatoes in their stomach, they all settled for the night, knowing that tomorrow will be the start of something new.

The next morning, Aloy and Harry sat outside by the fire pit as they tried to learn what they could about their own Focuses. For most parts, it was mostly fun to poke the floating symbols and seeing images or words. Messing around, Aloy managed to trigger a response from her Focus.

_“User nearby. Add to Local Network and register Contact?”_

“Yes?” Aloy said slowly causing Harry to flinch as a blue box appear before him. With the help of the Focus, the boy was able to figure out what the symbols meant. Upon pressing yes, both their devices beeped as they synced.

“The fire nearly out, I’ll grab another piece of wood,” Harry said as he walked over towards Rost, who was making their bows, “Hey, Rost. Fire is getting low again.”

“Let it die out, we’ll be leaving before long,” Rost grunted as he strung one of the bow. Harry was about to walk back to Aloy when he heard the girl speak in his ear, sounding a little… Strange.

_“But what does it all mean?”_

“Aloy? How did you do that?” Harry looked around to see if the girl was next to him, finding her still sat before the fire pit.

_“Harry? I can hear you but you’re not here,”_ Aloy replied as she spotted Harry by Rost, _“You’re all the way over there!”_

“What are you doing?” Rost inquired, watching as the boy before him spoke to the air. He glanced over to Aloy, who was looking at Harry, as well as speaking to the air. Was this another sign of Harry’s strangeness?

“I think the devices let us talk, even if we’re apart,” Harry said, not entirely sure himself.

“Those playthings let you speak to the air, and Aloy can hear it?” Rost frowned. He wasn’t at all happy that they kept the devices, even if they did help the children leave the ruins yesterday. He was torn between his honour for his tribe and keeping the two children happy, so he will make his disproval clear for the time being.

He can only hope that they would get bored of the playthings and start to forget about the ruins.

_“I can hear Rost! Can he hear me?”_ Aloy asked, her mind trying hard to work out how the Focus works.

“Aloy asked me if you could hear her.” Harry relayed the question.

“I cannot,” was the simple grunt as Rost finished stringing the second bow.

_“Aww, maybe Rost_ needs a device too?” Aloy said, her voice becoming clear as she approached the two males.

“I would prefer not to use things from the Metal World. I still think you shouldn’t have those playthings,” Rost muttered as he stood up, handing over the two bows to the children.

Unknowingly, they both had activated a Learning Program on their devices when they were playing with the symbols, which would allow them to learn words at a faster rate as they interacted with the world. Both Harry and Aloy were surprised to see the word Bow pop up and only fade once they had said the word.

“It’s time to go down to the valley now,” Rost said, walking towards the back of their home. It was a long winding path that they’ve all taken before, one that was safe from the machines, “The wilds can be dangerous, so you will need to stay close to me and do as I say.”

The children both agreed as they stepped in line with Rost, looking around them as they got to the end of the winding path. Having walked along the river and crossed a small bridge, they stopped when they reached a small wooded area. Neither Harry nor Aloy had been here before.

“Now, you’re both got hurt yesterday from the fall, so let’s start here. These are the medicine pouches I made for you. Take them and I will show you how to fill it properly,” Rost said as he handed over the soft pouches. Once they tied the pouches on their belt to his liking, Rost took them towards a couple of bushes, “See this plant? It’s called Salvebrush.”

Gathering the berries, each one checked by Rost, the children stored them into their pouches. Upon his command, Harry and Aloy both consumed some of the berries. Rost allowed himself a small chuckle when they both made faces of disgust.

“Bleh,” Aloy grumbled as she continued chewing the bitter berries.

“Really bad,” Harry agreed but to his amazement, his arm started to feel a little better!

“They may taste bitter but they can save your life. Always keep your pouches full of berries, flowers and plants,” Rost ordered as they spent some time in the area gathering more berries and a couple of flowers, “That will be enough, follow me.”

“Where are we?” Aloy asked as neither children had come this way before.

“This valley is just a part of All-Mother’s Embrace,” Rost said, much to the children’s confusion so he elaborated, “The Nora tribe watches these lands, making sure the most dangerous of machines doesn’t harm the tribe. Further down the river, we’ll find a herd of machines and you will both hunt them.”

“Are these machines dangerous?” Harry inquired, looking around as if one was nearby.

“All machines are dangerous, Harry. Their power must always be respected, regardless of how strong a hunter you may become,” Rost warned. He had seen newly made Braves forget this warning, much to their demise. He stopped the children, hearing the tell-tale sounds of a machine coming, “One is coming. Crouch and follow me into the tall grass. Stop, stay low and quiet.”

Just as Rost finished speaking, a small bipedal machine walked between the two large rocks near the dirt path. Encased in white metal, the machine peered around with its large blue eye, giving out a soft purring clicks. A second appeared from behind the first, looking around before walking along the path.

“Littles ones,” Aloy whispered, clamping her mouth as she looked up to Rost. Harry whipped his gaze over to the nearest machine, wondering if they heard her.

“The river is lounder than us but only if you whisper. Remember, as little as they might be, they are still dangerous. These machines are called Watchers and you must learn to avoid their gaze if you are to survive in the wilds,” Rost guided the children, telling them when to stop and when it was clear to move. The two Watchers moved slowly as they scanned the area, eventually losing interest as they left, giving out soft warbles.

“You both did well, they didn’t see or hear either of you. There is always room for improvement though if you want to strive to perfection. Now stay close to me, the herd should be up ahead,” Rost said.

Trailing behind the man, Aloy nudged Harry and pointed towards a boy climbing high above them, pausing on a small platform. As if the older boy could feel their eyes on him, he looked around until he spotted the trio of outcasts, giving a hesitant smile which only grew when the children shyly smiled back.

“Who’s that?” Aloy pointed the boy out to Rost. The man saw the smiling boy and gave a scowl.

“Ignore him.”

“But, why? He’s smiling at us, he’s being nice. Isn’t he?” Harry wondered. It was rare that anyone else smiled at them.

“Teb! Get back to where you belong! Where are you, Teb?” a gruff voice echoed in the valley, causing the boy to grin sheepishly before he climbed out of their view.

“We are outcasts and that boy is of the tribe. You must learn to ignore them, it is our way,” Rost said.

“Maybe he doesn’t like the tribe,” Aloy replied, not seeing the dark look in Rost’s eyes.

“Then he is a fool. Come now, the herd should be just… There. See them? These are called “Striders”, there are a few herds of them within the Embrace,” Rost pointed out the herd to the children.

Across the bridge were several of the four legged machines, with powerful shoulders and a strange snout like heads with two small eyes stacked on top of each other.

“Wow,” Harry grinned upon seeing the machines, only to jump along with Aloy when Rost shouted.

“HAAAH! Git!”

The echoed shout spooked the machines, their blue eyes turning yellow as they turned tail and left the area, kicking up dust as they did. Aloy was confused as to why Rost would make them run away if they were hunting them, “Why’d you chase them off?”

“To show the pair of you how some machine will startle easily if they detect you. Some machines, like Striders, are best approached by stealth. Don’t worry, we’ll catch up to them further down,” Rost explained as they crossed the bridge. The man looked around before turning to the children, “I want you both to find some rocks that fit the cup of your hand.”

Rost didn’t mind that the children made a slight game of finding the perfect rock, so long as they remembered where they were, “Enough wasting time, those will do. Follow me and stay close.”

The trio walked around the slight bend in the valley. Rost, having been in the valley numerous times in his life, kept on walking. As he could no longer hear footsteps behind him, the man turned around to see the children gaping at the air, “What now?”

“What is that?” Harry asked as he pointed towards a large structure of metal, reaching all the way up to the left side of the valley. It looked as if it grew from the ground, with large trees and vines growing on top as if the metal was the dirt, “Is that a metal tree?”

“Not quite, it was something from the old world. There are many stories of how All-Mother quelled the thirst of a metal beast, flooding the valley as she cleansed it. Once the water flowed out of the valley, the Goddess planted seeds into the back of the metal beast, growing into the large trees you see today,” Rost explained as they walked towards the structure.

The man was glad to be able to share some of the other stories, it wasn’t often they expressed a bigger interest about their Tribe. The sun has risen high now, which was a good time to sit under the “Metal Trees” (as the children chosen to call the structure) and have lunch, consisting of dried sticks of meats and a couple of fruits each. The water pouch was still cold from the melted snow as they quenched their thirst, a perfect lunch for a hunting day.

Soon they were off, the children close to Rost as they neared the herd’s location. Crouching at a ridge, a lone Watcher was patrolling the path below could be seen and it was perfect for Rost’s next hunting lesson, “It’s time to throw some rocks.”

“How can rocks hurt machines?” Aloy asked, perplexed at the idea something small could do damage. Even Harry stared at his rocks with a small scowl.

“They won’t make a single scratch but they can distract them, draw them into traps. Like that Watcher over there, it must be dealt with. It will warn the other machines before we could get close to the herd,” Rost explained as he kept his eye on the Watcher. It started to drift further along the path than he liked, so it’ll have to be a Twice-Sound trap.

“How can it warn the others?” Harry asked, since the Watcher seemed too far away for the herd to hear it.

“The Machines speak to each other, like how you both spoke to the air to one another at home,” Rost explained, hoping that it make them understand, “Unless they are first silenced. Since the machine wandered too far, this is what we are going to do. Harry, you will go further along the ridge. There is a patch of tall grass near the Watcher and from there, you will throw one of your rocks behind him. Stay hidden until I take the machine down. Aloy, once it goes pass the tree, you will throw a second rock close to me. Do you understand?”

Harry nodded before he started making his way towards the patch of grass Rost told him about. From his spot, he could see Rost getting down into the tall red grass below while Aloy stayed behind, keeping a vigilant eye on their surroundings.

Once everyone was ready, Rost signalled to Harry. With a deep breath, Harry threw one of his rock towards the path.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to say thank you to everyone that has given Kudos or has subscribed to the story. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. Any reviews/comments (Good or Constructive) are always welcome.


	5. Learning to Hunt Part 2

The Watcher jumped around, its yellow gaze narrowing on the spot where the rock rolled to a stop. Harry watched as the machine walk past him, completely unaware that the boy was hidden above as it came to a stop near the tree.

Aloy was ready, her rock steady as it landed near Rost. The Watcher snapped its head towards the patch of grass the man was hiding in. As it drew closer, Harry couldn’t help but feel fear for the man, what if he gets hurts or worse?

The moment the machine stood in front of him, Rost rushed to the side and drove his spear deep into the heart of the Watcher, the dying whine coming to a stop as Rost lowered the dead machine to the ground, “Come children, it is safe for now.”

Harry scrambled down from the ridge, not bothered by the fact it wasn’t a perfect landing as he rushed to Rost, “That was really scary but then you took it down!”

“My heart was racing as it got closer to you, will you teach us how to do that?” Aloy excitedly asked. Rost took their antics pretty well, considering the herd was some way away. It was then that he noticed the even so slight tremors radiating from the children. Their nerves are not steady and hunters need a steady hand to guide their arrows. Arrows…

“We will wait here. I will show you how to properly harvest a machine, there are many things you can make from a single kill. Sit by the tree,” Rost grunted as he dragged the metal carcass around so the children could see it better.

He took his time, showing how to dismantle their hides and what innards could be repurposed. It didn’t take long before both Aloy and Harry asked about the small piles of shards to the side.

“Metal Shards, the tribes use them to trade with one another, for new weapons or even trinkets. However, these will be perfect for your arrows. Now, go gather stalks of Ridge-Woods, over there,” Rost ordered. They were quick to gather the stalks, watching Rost as he demonstrated how to make an arrow. Their first couple attempts were poor, as to be expected, but with a little guidance from Rost, they had a five arrows each that was decently made.

“Good, you are now ready to take down a Strider. I will be right there beside you,” Rost promised upon seeing the nervous glances from the two children. A few minutes later, they were crouched down in the tall red grass, spying on a lone Strider that had wandered too far from the rest of the herd.

“We are lucky this one strayed too far. Striders are one of the weaker machines but remember, even a weak one can kill a hunter. As long as you study your preys, look for weaknesses, there is no reason why the pair of you can’t take down this strider,” Rost said confidently, encouraging the children to seek out such weaknesses now.

“The tail? The ‘Can-ne-ster’ on its back, is that a weakness?” Aloy asked as her Focus highlighted the canister in yellow, informing her of certain parts of the machine that were weaknesses.

“What’s ‘Blah-zee’? A fle-flame, no. A ‘flam-marble’ liquid?” Harry tried out speak out the long words as they danced across the air in front of him.

Rost was astounded by how quickly they spotted the weakness. Even more, they found out the “tail” contained Blaze. All this within seconds, “Yes… How did you know?”

“The devices, they showed us!” Aloy said, much to Rost’s frustration. They are getting distracted by playthings on a hunt.

“Stop playing games,” Rost grunted as he pointed to the machine, “Take down that Strider. Aim for the canister or target the eyes. If it charges, be ready to roll out of the way!”

Aloy sprung from their hiding place, her arrow fly through the air and bounced off the metal hide while Harry aimed for the eyes, missing by a few inches. The Strider spotted them, hoofing the ground as it got ready to charge.

“ROLL!”

The children did as they were bid, narrowly avoiding being crushed by the angry machine. It slowed down and once it started to turn around, Aloy managed to hit the canister, knocking it free.

“Keep going!”

Harry’s second arrow missed the eyes again but gotten impaled into the neck of the Strider. His third arrow flew true as it bounced off the eyes, cracking it in the process, letting Aloy’s next arrow impale through the side of the head.

The machine tripped and slid to a halt before them, allow the children to finish the Strider off as they unleashed the last of their arrows as quickly as possible as it let out a dying whine and the eyes flickered off.

“Well done, you both done well today but there is much you will learn. Tomorrow, we’ll train again,” Rost praised them, watching Harry and Aloy pull out arrows. The arrows were useless, but the harvest of this kill will do more than replace them. He watched the children start to harvest the machine when there was a scream echoing in the valley.

“Who was that?” Harry asked, snapping his head around to locate the sound. Abandoning the kill, the trio ran towards the noise, skidding to a halt when Aloy spotted the source of the scream.

“That boy! The one that was climbing earlier,” Aloy pointed toward the older boy, struggling to hold on to the cliff face. Both children gasped when he lost his grip, falling a short distance before smacking against the large tree underneath him and landed with a pained scream.

Harry and Aloy both looked at Rost, who only shook his head, “There is nothing I can do. Even if I were to do something, it would only be a matter of time before the machines find him.”

Although Aloy could see the reasoning behind her guardian’s words, she couldn’t just let the boy die. Looking towards the field, there were plenty of tall grass to hide in, plus there wasn’t that many machines. The girl was about to suggest an idea when her device highlighted the nearest Watcher.

“I can see the paths they take!” Aloy declared.

“Stop telling stories.”

“I can see them too,” Harry defended the girl, seeing the strange arrow heads on the ground. If only Rost could see them, “But like you said, it’s not safe- Aloy!”

“Aloy! Get back here!” Rost hissed at the girl, who had jumped down into the tall grass. Harry watched as Aloy made her way to the edge of the tall grass, stopping as a Watcher passed her. It paused for a moment, looking around for any signs of danger before carrying on with its patrol.

_“That was close.”_

“Aloy! What are you thinking?” Harry spoke lowly as he watched Aloy crossed the path, narrowly avoiding the gaze of the Watcher.

“Tell her to come back,” Rost grunted as he tried to stay as quiet as possible, his fear for Aloy was evident as Harry relayed the request.

_“I’m almost there.”_

Rost and Harry both held their breath as Aloy crossed over a clear area, ducking as the nearest Watcher snapped its head towards the girl, the lenses turning yellow.

Panicking, Harry looked around on the floor as the Watcher crept towards Aloy. Finding a rock, Harry proceeded to throw it when his wrist was firmly taken.

“No, you won’t reach far enough,” Rost stated as he took the rock out of his hand, getting a feel for the weight before he lobbed it. The sound resonated as the Watcher jumped around, clicking as it went to investigate the new sound.

_“Thank you. I found him… Hey!”_

_“What? How did you…”_

_“Shhhhhh! Follow me and be quiet.”_

Harry informed Rost that Aloy found the boy. He understood what Aloy meant earlier in the day about being able to hear other people as well. Harry dismissed the thought as he watched Aloy guide the older boy, hearing his disbelief through their devices.

_“How do you know to avoid them? How are you doing this?”_

_“Shhhhhh!”_

Rost pulled Harry along, taking them round the ridge so they could help lift Aloy up over. Rost reluctantly helped the older boy up before turning to Aloy, briefly touching her Focus, “So, they are not playthings then.”

Aloy and Harry both smirked, ready to leave when the older boy approached them.

“Wait! I just… All-Mother bless you, girl. Bless all three of you,” the boy gulped, seeing an angry man storm towards him, while Rost stepped to the side, making sure the children were behind him, “S-she saved me, I just wanted to-”

“Seal you lips, Boy! They are outcasts! And those, those things are motherless. Come now, back to Mother’s heart,” The old brave dragged the boy along, smacking him upside the head. Harry and Aloy wasn’t sure what to make of the other boy’s sad smile when Rost started walking them home.

“That boy shouldn’t have spoken to us, it’s against tribal law,” Rost sighed, seeing the down cast looks on their faces, “We’ll go home now, follow me.”

“I know the way,” Aloy huffed as she stormed ahead while Harry lingered closer to Rost.

“It’s seems no matter what I say, it’s the wrong thing,” Rost muttered, keeping his eye on the girl as she kicked at a couple of rocks.

“Why do you like the tribe so much? They’re not kind, like you,” Harry stated bluntly as he fiddled with his bow, keeping his hand busy and his eyes away from Rost as he added, “I wouldn’t want to be a part of it.”

“Being an Outcast isn’t something you should strive for Harry, there is little honour in it. These laws were made for a reason and it’s for the good of everyone in the tribe,” Rost replied. The sharp look of anger appearing on the boy’s face shocked the man.

“Then the laws are stupid! Why wouldn’t I want to be an outcast? It’s better than being mean to hurt people!” Harry scoffed as he too stormed ahead, rushing to join Aloy.

Rost stood for a moment, wondering when it all started going wrong today.

Harry caught up with Aloy quickly, falling in line with her as the girl muttered to herself, “Seal your lips!”

“Stupid tribe laws. I would change them, make people be nicer if I can,” Harry said. Aloy was about to reply when a small stone struck her head, clutching at the bleeding cut.

“Stay away, No-Mothers!” a voice shouted out as a second rock hit Harry’s chest. They saw a young blonde boy, sneering at them while the other children stared. The boy raised his hand to get ready to throw a third rock at them and Harry had enough.

“Leave us alone!” Harry yelled, reaching his hand out. The rock flew from the blonde boy’s hand to his, causing all the tribe children to start whispering.

“Children, over here. Return to picking the berries!”

When the woman shouted, the children drifted away as they pulled the sneering child with them. Once they were out of sight, Aloy allowed her tears to drop. Harry guided Aloy as he hugged her close to him, seeing Rost rush to them, kneeling when he reached them as he eyed the cut on Aloy’s face, “Hold still, I’ll clean it up.”

“Why?” Aloy sniffed as Harry rubbed her back.

“Shhh, it’ll be okay, Aloy,” Rost soothed, pressing the rag stone to her face.

“Why are we outcasts?” Aloy pleaded with Rost, wiping away her tears furiously.

“Aloy, this is not the time,” Rost tried to insist. If he had only one outcast child to raise, he would probably been able to delay this line of questioning. Alas, All-Mother seemed to be working against him when Harry spoke up.

“Who is our mother? Why isn’t she here?”

“Harry, I’ve told you both before that it wasn’t for us to know. You were new-born babes when the Matriarchs brought you to me,” Rost replied as he wiped the last of the blood away from Aloy’s face.

“The Matriarchs, they know?” Aloy asked, dispite Rost’s insistence that it wasn’t as simple as that, “But they know? We can ask them!”

“Aloy, we are outcasts,” Rost tried to explain, only to get cut off by Harry.

“How do we make them tell us?”

“I – There is a way, perhaps,” Rost said, hearing both children asking again, “It will be dangerous and it would take years of training.”

“I don’t care, just tell us, please!” Aloy begged.

“The Proving, the tribe’s rite of passage and held every year. Those who pass become Braves but to the one who wins… The Matriarch will grant a boon to them. Whatever the winner wants.”

Harry and Aloy looked at one another and an unspoken agreement was made. No matter how long the training will take nor how dangerous it will be, they swore on that day that they will win The Proving.

“As for training,” Rost spoke up again, seeing the determined look on the children’s faces.

“Start training? Yes! Follow!” Aloy giggled as she tried to emulate her guardian.

Rost allowed himself to be pulled by the children, shaking his head at their antics. Perhaps this day hasn’t gone as wrong as he thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm glad I split this into two chapters, but I do think there will be longer chapters in the future. As always, I hope that you enjoyed this chapter! Thank you to those who has given kudos and subscribed/bookmarked the story and reviews/comments (Good or Constructive) are welcome.


	6. Curse or Blessing?

Harry was crouched down in the grass, watching his Nemesis as it looked around for any signs of danger. As he readied his arrow, aiming for the head as he took a deep breath, pulling the string of the bow back.

“Harry!”

Harry yelped in shock, releasing the arrow and missing his mark as it hit the dirt. The rabbit scrambled around, rushing off before Harry could let loose another arrow. Harry sighed before staring at Aloy, “Do you know how long it took me to track him?”

“Sorry. Rost asked me to look for you, said you’ve been a while,” Aloy said while Harry stood and stretched, “I think he got a lesson planned.”

“Rost always got a lesson planned, Aloy. Although he’s been a little secretive lately,” Harry mused as they walked out of the small woods in the valley behind their home. They took their time as they followed the winding path up back to their home.

As they walked through the back gates, Rost was stirring the stew he was making for dinner tonight and held out his left hand out expectantly. For a moment, Harry was confused before he remembered the rosemary sprigs Rost asked for and handed them over. The herbs were crushed with and stripped of their leaves before being thrown into the pot.

“What took you so long?” Rost inquired as he placed the lid over the pot and turned around to face Harry.

“I saw Stripes again. I swear to All-Mother that rabbit is secretly a machine,” Harry muttered. Rost nearly let out his chuckle, he knows how much Harry claims the striped furred rabbit exists to torment the boy, “If Aloy had kept quiet, I would had gotten him. Anyways, Aloy thinks you got a lesson planned.”

“Harry!” Aloy gave a betrayed look to Harry. Rost merely smiled at the ten year olds as he told them to leave their stuff in the house before meeting him at the front gates.

The children were quick to do so and Rost led them onwards to the plateau that kept their home safe. It wasn’t long before they spotted what Rost has been working on. There was a large Fly-Line set up from the top of the cliff reaching down to the embrace below.

“You’ve built a Fly-Line?” Aloy asked excitedly. They’ve started using the Brave Trails earlier this year, building up their stamina and speed along with using much shorter Fly-Lines. The one Rost has built must be at least three times the size they used before and higher. Much higher.

The two children climbed after Rost, grunting as they were helped up and they looked at the view. They could see all of the Embrace here, the villages in the distance, light glinting off the herds of machines as the sun lit the land up. It was here that Rost would tell the pair stories of the Metal Devil that tried to strike at All-Mother’s Mountain.

“You’ve done well these last few months with the basic Brave Trails. Now it is time to face your fears. This Fly-Line will be used from now on and you will start climbing back home instead of using the path to the valley,” Rost informed them. Aloy glanced over the edge as she pressed her Focus, measuring the distance while Harry refused to look anywhere but the ground beneath him.

“That’s a long way down. Are you sure we’re ready?” Aloy apprehensively asked.

“Sometimes in life, Aloy, people are never ready. It’s whether or not they chose to take the leap of faith that matters, should it be today or the next,” Rost told them, hoping that it would at least give them some level of comfort. If they can’t do it today, then tomorrow is another day, another lesson, “I have your Fly-Line handles here, who wishes to go first?”

Aloy glanced at Harry, who was doing his very best not to fidget too much and generally ignoring the existence of the Fly-Line, before volunteering to go first. Rost assessed the girl as she presented the correct way of holding the Fly-Line handle as well as reciting the instructions back to him. Once Rost deemed her ready, Aloy clambered up the small platform before the Fly-Line and took a deep breath.

“You can scream, shout, cry as much as you want so long as you…” Rost encouraged the girl.

“Don’t let go. I won’t,” Aloy nodded before looking towards Harry, who only gave her a weak look, “See you down there, Harry.”

With that and another deep breath, Aloy took off as she swung side to side, screaming as she flew down the line. As she neared the end, Aloy let out a whoop before letting go and rolling out the landing, ending up on her back in exhilaration.

“Well done, girl! Take a few moments to rest,” Rost called down to Aloy who jumped to her feet as she waved.

“That was amazing! I want to do it again!”

Rost let out a soft chuckle before hearing a choked noise behind him. Turning round, he could see Harry with his head between his knees, trying to keep his breathing steady but was unable to calm himself down.

“Harry,” Rost spoke softly, to try and gain the boy’s attention. Harry either didn’t hear him or ignored him in his panic, “Boy… Harry!”

Harry’s eyes snapped up to his guardian’s face and the dam broke as his breathing hitched and his voice cracked as he spoke up, “I-I-I can’t do it! It’s t-too high! Its not – I m-mean… I-I-I can’t b-breathe!”

“Harry, you need to slow your breathing down,” Rost said firmly, trying to get the boy to steady his breathing. The boy only gasped as he grabbed at his chest, trying to sooth the pain there. Rost didn’t touch him nor came too close. He had seen this affliction before and knew how to help. Harry’s breathing did slow down but his voice was still strained.

“I k-know I have to do this but I don’t think I can. I don’t want to let you down,” Harry admitted to the man. This was the first time Rost has heard Harry speak about any of his fears, let alone express them in front of Rost nor Aloy, “What if the tribe reject me because of my strangeness? And then I can’t join Aloy in The Proving.”

“I doubt you could ever disappoint me, or Aloy for that matter,” Rost said as he sat beside Harry, leaning back against the rock as he gave a soft snort and a shake of his head, “You remind me of myself when I was your age, perhaps a little older, I think. There was this Brave Trail my father insisted I must do, only it was high up in the mountains, higher than our home. I started the climb, thinking it would be easy to do.”

“Was it easy?” Harry asked as he sniffed and wiped at his eyes. His breathing has become steadier, although there was a hitch here and there.

“To begin with. The climb up was easy enough, with a couple of leaps here and there. When I get to the next part, there is a tightrope, longer than any I have ever seen going across the air,” Rost gestured with his hand as he described the event.

“As long as the Fly-Line?” Harry inquired.

“Longer. I took one look at the thing and felt fear gripping my heart, telling me that there was no way I would cross it,” Rost replied as he shook his head, “I turned around to my Father and said I refuse to do it, letting my fear rule my head.”

“What did your father say?” Harry wondered, feeling calmer than he was before as he listened with rapt attention.

“The same thing I will tell you, Harry. ‘It is okay to be afraid, even during battle. Feel it, understand it and then put it to one side until after the task is done,’” Rost stated.

“I don’t ever want to feel that again,” Harry grimaced as he glanced to the Fly-Line, “But I think I can at least try to put it aside. You never said anything about the strangeness though.”

“There is no shame if you cannot do it today, Harry,” Rost reassured the sharp boy as they stood up. Truth be told, Rost wasn’t sure what to think of his strangeness anymore, yesterday Harry pull a rock from afar to his hand, “As for your strangeness Harry, I know you call it a curse at times but I believe now it’s a blessing from All-Mother.”

Harry was shocked by how much Rost truly accepted his strangeness now, even calling it a blessing? He glanced towards the fly-line when he felt something inside him, a warmth almost chasing his fears away and made him feel more settled.

“Rost? Harry? Are you coming down?” Aloy’s voice echoed up to them. Rost turned to ask Harry when he spotted the boy on the platform and muttering to himself.

“Feel it, understand, put it aside. Feel it, understand, put it aside,” Harry spoke the short mantra before he let out a determined scream as he pushed forwards. For Harry, it felt as if time was moving slowly as he flew through the air, his scream turning to joy, “ARGGGHAHAHAAAA! WOOOO HOOOO!”

Harry saw the end coming and let go, rolling as he landed and scrambling up to his feet, jumping up and down as he celebrated his victory. Aloy laughed at his antics, joining in as Harry grabbed her hands and made her jump around with him.

Out the corner of their eyes, Rost was zipping down the Fly-Line with an amused look on his face as he saw them dancing around like a pair of drunk Braves. He landed with a laugh, resisting Aloy’s attempts to rope him into the fun.

“Well done, the pair of you. We have a very long way to go but I am proud of how far you’ve both come,” Rost proudly looked down at the children before grabbing them into a group hug and lifting them up.

It was nice, at least until the man dropped them into the river, causing the children to shriek. Aloy gasped as she glared at Rost for a short moment before splashing water at him while Harry pulled at the man, causing him to fall in and get soaked as well.

Rost overpowered the pair with a couple of powerful splashes before sitting on the bank as he watched the children play. It wasn’t much but the seeing the smiles on their faces made Rost’s hard work and lessons worth it all.

Speaking of worthiness…

“Aloy, Harry, enough playing around. We will climb home, I wish to be dry,” Rost declared as he took them to their climbing route home. It had plenty of platforms and footholds as well as a number of poles and ropes; this would ensure they could change how they climb each day. Granted it was certainly a beginner’s route as the children do not possess the stamina to use his route, which extends arounds the cliff face.

It didn’t take long for them to get back home taking off their clothes and replacing them with dry ones, as well as the children leaving their Focuses on their bed at the man’s request. After hanging their wet clothes up, the trio sat around the fire as Rost checked on the stew before adding a block of wood to the small fire.

“It’ll be a while yet. Now, today you both made the leap of faith. You had followed my lessons well and it is time for you to get your first braid,” Rost announced as he sat down. Producing a comb, the man looked at the two children and let them chose who will go first. Harry was more than happy to let Aloy to receive her braid first, watching as Rost brushed her hair as he wrestled with some knots before making a braid on the right side of her head, occasionally dipping his fingers in the beeswax jar beside him, using the soften wax to slick the braid better. He finished it with a blue bead that would lock the braid tightly as well as show her progress in her training.

Once Aloy was done, Harry eagerly replaced her seat between Rost’s legs. His hair was as long, reaching just beyond his shoulders. Feeling the sensation of the comb in his hair, Harry laughed softly at the memory of Rost cutting his hair before so it wasn’t as wild. The next morning, his hair had returned to the same length it was before it was cut, much to both Harry’s and Rost’s disappointment while Aloy laughed uncontrollably on the ground.

“What’s so funny?” Rost asked, glad to see Harry in better spirit than earlier.

“Just remembering how my hair grew back the first time you cut it,” Harry admitted with a grin, getting a light hearted huff from the man who braided above the shaved section on the right side of his head. Since the hair was shorter, it did take longer to get to the tail but seeing the blue bead being twisted on was worth the wait.

While Rost went to wash his hands of the wax, both the children admired the other’s braid as they tried their very best not to fiddle with the bead too much. When their guardian returned, the stew was dished out along with chunks of breads and baked potatoes. When the fire died out, Rost and Aloy went to retire to bed while Harry promised to be in shortly.

Leaning back on the steps of his home, Harry couldn’t help but thank All-Mother, the stars in the sky, even his strangeness for everything he had. A caring guardian, a great play-mate and a beautiful home. He would do anything, even face all of his fears at once if it meant it would protect everything he cares about. The warm feeling in his heart returned, stronger than he felt before it went away just as quickly.

Letting out a yawn, Harry slipped inside and under the covers of his bed, feeling happy with his lot in life.

_21:46:34 – Energy spike detected_

_21:46:34 – Routing Query Sent_

_21:46:35 – No Response GPRIME_

_21:46:37 – Routing Query Sent_

_21:54:04 – Response Detected LPRIME_

_21:54:04 – Query Deleted_

_/// Alert: Energy Spike Detected NA_

_Active: Cauldron Eiwaz_

_Active: Production/Oversight/Analysis_

_Alert: Analysis Confirmed_

_Active: Additive/Manufacture/Type/Small_

_Alert: Clearance Needed_

_Alert: Clearance Accepted_

_Alert: Results: Five hours to completion…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took me a while longer than I thought to write out but I do hope you enjoyed reading this so far. Thank you to everyone who had sent Kudos/subscribed to the story.  
> As always reviews/comments (Good, constructive, whimsy or even an emoji) are welcome and I will see you in the next chapter o/


	7. The Strange Truth

“Psst! You there, come closer,” a man called out to Aloy the next day during her run. Aloy slowed down, wondering if the man was really talking to her, “Yes, I mean you, girl.”

Aloy approached the man, making sure to keep a little distance between them as the man looked around quickly before laying his eyes on Aloy.

“I’ve seen you around with your play-mate. You’re both looking to become fine hunters,” The man complimented, although Aloy was still wary of him, “I’m Karst.”

“I’m Aloy. Why would you risk talking to me?” Aloy asked as the man tried to casually look around before replying.

“I wouldn’t have done well as a Trader if I didn’t sell or buy from outcasts. No doubt there’s only so much you can gather in the Embrace without a helping hand,” Karst shrugged as he sorted through some baskets, pulling out a small metal cube with a dull blue glow, “Do you know what this is?”

Aloy took the cube and turned it over. She had seen plenty of these during her hunts, “It’s a Watcher Heart. What about it?”

“They are worth two hundred metal shards. And the tribe has many uses for them, as well as other such harvests from the machines,” Karst informed the girl. Aloy frowned at the small cube like item. Why would a machine heart be worth this much?

“Simply put, I would be willing to pay you and your play-mate for machine harvests. I’m sure we can work out a rate and it wouldn’t be bad to have some shards saved up,” Karst said bluntly, crossing his arms as he studied the girl.

“I’ll see what Rost have to say about it,” Aloy said, eager to get going again.

“He might not let you trade with me, last I remember he was pretty strict regarding Nora laws,” Karst scoffed, getting a small glare from the girl, “Not that’s a bad thing but you have to admit being able to trade with at least one person might help in the long run.”

‘Karst has a point. Maybe I can ask Rost indirectly about it?’ Aloy mused, before shrugging. She’ll have to see but Aloy knew she was running late, “I’ll have to go. I’ll talk to Harry about it.”

“Please do so. All-Mother bless you and all that,” Karst half-heartedly said as Aloy set off at a decent pace, feeling her bow jostle gently against the quiver on her back, bouncing with every step as a reminder to keep going. It didn’t take long before she reached the plateau, taking the moment to stretch before climbing up; the repetitive feeling of pulling and pulling on ropes felt nice as she reached the top, flopping on the ground.

Aloy laid back with her feet dangling off the edge, getting her breath back and letting the wind cool her warm muscle. One day in the future, she wouldn’t feel the ache as much and would be even faster. Shaking her head, Aloy got up and headed to the main gate, not hearing the clashing of spears as she entered. Instead, she was greeted with a very strange sight.

Rost was on the porch with Harry, the pair had their spears poised outward as they looked around warily. Spotting Aloy, Harry called out, “Aloy! Quickly, come to the house!”

“What’s going on?” Aloy asked, jogging up the small hill. That was when the small silvery machine swooped from one of the nearby trees, scaring Aloy into running to the porch. Clambering up the steps, she breathed out, “Is that a Glinthawk?”

“It’s too small for that, and yet far more smarter than I’ve ever seen a machine be,” Rost said as Aloy quickly dropped off her bow and quiver, arming herself with her spear, raising it as she looked around, “It been here for a little while. For some reason, it tried to attack Harry.”

“I wouldn’t say that, it just scared me when the machine flew above my head,” Harry said as he pressed against his focus, looking around and above, “Out of range again.”

Aloy also tried to locate the machine to no avail, “So what do we do?”

“We wait. It’ll make a mistake, they always do,” Rost stated as he peered around, guiding his spear as he did as did Aloy and Harry. Sure enough it swooped down from behind the house, gliding towards the main gate and perched there, “By the All-Mother, is it mocking us?”

The machine did seem to have an air of smugness as it started to preen its wings, stretching them and making them gleam in the sun. Aloy thought it was rather strange that the machine seemed like it didn’t want to attack them.

“Could it be a nice machine?” Harry asked, letting his spear drop a little. Rost scoffed while Aloy looked curiously at her play-mate.

“Have you forgotten what I have taught you? ‘All machines-’” Rost looked at the boy sternly and was surprised by the slight annoyance on his face.

“’All machines are dangerous.’ I know that. That doesn’t mean they’re all bad. Just like being an Outcast doesn’t mean we’re bad either. Maybe we are motherless demons, who knows; I know I’m strange enough but I’m not going to let fear hold me back anymore!” Harry said determinedly as he dropped his spear and ducked out of Rost’s reach as he dashed down from the porch and headed towards the bird-like machine. It spotted him coming and kept their gaze upon Harry as he came closer but made no move to do anything.

As Harry got closer, his Focus lit up but he was still unable to determine what the machine is, only getting static disrupting the information box. The small machine fluttered their wings, startling Harry a little but he kept his ground as he got close enough to see it properly. It was rather beautiful, for a machine. Finely detailed with strange patterns carved into the metal and warm amber lenses, completely different from the harsh yellow gaze of the other machines.

“Hello,” Harry started, keeping his eyes on the machine, “I’m not sure why I’m talking to you but it feels right, I think. Why did you attack us?”

The machine seemed to glare at him for saying that, even hooting at him before turning its head towards the house. Harry looked back, seeing Rost with his bow and the string drawn half-way while Aloy was looking torn holding her spear. Harry pleaded silently to Rost, gesturing to lower his weapon.

“Rost, I think Harry might be right. Please trust him,” Aloy looked up to her guardian as she watched the mix of emotions cross his face before finally lowering his bow, not saying anything.

Relived at seeing the bow lowered, Harry turned his attention back to the machine, “Is that better?”

As if the machine understood him, it let out a series of soft hoots and bounced across the gate to get closer to the boy. Harry barely stopped himself from moving back, reminding himself to put aside his fear. Hearing an inquisitive hoot drew Harry out of his mantra, seeing the bird-like machine stare at him closely.

“I’ve never seen a machine like you before. You’re rather pretty, for a machine,” Harry floundered as he rubbed his head but it seemed to work. Hearing the praise had the machine spreading its wings and hooting rather smugly, “You liked that, huh? Not to be rude or anything but why are you here?”

The machine seemed to paused for a moment, eyes flashing a light blue. A moment later, the information box that was previously illegible by static became clear:

_Familiar – A machine based on previous Familiars owned by witches and wizards. Once bonded with their owners, they are loyal to them and will strive to help in any way they can._

“Familiar? So you’re looking for an owner. But I’ve never heard of ‘whichey’ or ‘Wizaards’. Do you know what they look like?” Harry inquired, only to see the machine droop somewhat dejectedly before hopping and flying around the house boundaries, before landing back on the gate.

“I don’t understand, how can they be here? Only Rost, Aloy and I live here, we never heard of anything strange like…” Harry trailed off as he looked down at his hands. Strangeness and strange machines, could that be related somehow?

“What exactly is a Witches or Wizards?” Harry asked the machine, watching the eyes change colour for a moment before a new information box appeared, longer than the previous one:

_Witch/Wizard – Humans that are born with the innate ability to perform magic. Magic can manifest in numerous ways, starting off as accidental magic (summoning a toy etc.) which is always cause to celebrate. As a magical grows so does their magic, being able to perform greater feats of spells and abilities via items like a wand or in some cases, a staff. (See Wand-lore for more information)._

Harry read and re-read the box, breathing heavily as the answer to his strangeness was in front of him. His strangeness meant he was one of these witches or wizards, whatever that really meant. Swallowing hard, he looked towards the bird, blinking as he shook his head.

“I… I can’t be a witch or wizard. I’m just Harry, I don’t understand. I’m just… Harry,” the boy started swaying on his feet as the information became too much for the young hunter and as he fell back, he heard his name being called out, along with a series of concern hooting as the world faded to darkness.

* * *

Rost rushed to Harry as he fell, with Aloy close behind him. The machine swooped to be beside the boy, stopping the man from coming close to his ward as it spread its wings to deter the man further.

“Away with you, metal bird. I need to attend to Harry,” Rost scowled at the machine, which seemed to scowl right back at the man. Rost was prepared knock the machine away when Aloy spoke to it.

“Please, we need to make sure Harry is okay. We could never hurt him,” Aloy knelt down before the bird, offering her hand out. After a long moment of inspecting the girl, the machine reluctantly stepped aside as Rost checked the boy over.

“No blood, nor any signs of harm. He must had fallen to shock, just need plenty of rest,” Rost stated as he picked the boy up and carried him inside the house. Ignoring the machine landing on the rail, Rost settled Harry down and gathered furs around him, gently brushing his hand over the boy’s head.

After double-checking the boy, he went to the porch where he found Aloy oohing and ahhing at the admittedly beautiful machine. Never before has the man seen a beast so intricately carved into and still appear to be functioning. The pair of amber eyes watched the man warily as he approached Aloy, sat down on the chair and watching the bird-like machine.

“Has your play-thing revealed anything?” Rost asked Aloy, merely frowned as she played with her hunting knife, twirling it around her fingers.

“No, not really. There’s nothing in my Focus and all I get is static. I don’t understand, why can’t see anything? I’m sure it showed Harry something,” Aloy said, not realising that the knife sliced the top of the finger until she felt the warm blood drip down to her hand, “Oh, shoot.”

“I had warned you numerous times that a knife is not a toy,” Rost reprimanded as Aloy stuck her finger in her mouth to stem the bleeding. The machine saw the droplet of blood on the floor and dropped from the rail to inspect it more closely. Aloy tried to wipe the blood away with her boots, only for the machine to squawk at her unimpressed by her action while Rost tied a small cloth over the tip of her finger. Feeling scolded, Aloy watched the machine bend down and pecked at the droplet, “Ewww. Don’t do that!”

Aloy fell silent as the machine eye’s turned a light blue, flashing as if it saw thousands of images before turning back to the normal amber. Tilting its head as it studied Aloy, it hooted softly as the static faded, allowing Aloy to read the information boxes.

“Rost! The static is gone now,” Aloy exclaimed as she started wiping at the air, trying to read everything at once, “It’s a Familiar, helps ‘Whyzards’- no Wizards and witches with anything they might need. Okay but why turn up here? They are people that can perform magic, often starting at a young age. Is that what Harry’s strangeness is? Magic?”

“Slow down, girl. Start at the beginning and don’t miss anything out that could be important,” Rost insisted as he settled down before Aloy, who merely looked surprised at his actions. The machine watched them with

“Okay, I just thought you didn’t like anything to do with Machines or the Metal World,” Aloy mumbled as Rost sighed softly.

“Even after all these long years, I often forget that I can stand to learn new things. Raising the pair of you has taught me a few things, changed how I saw the world, little by little. It’s not a bad thing nor always good, its just…” Rost trailed off in his thoughts.

“Strange. I think I rather be strange like Harry than be one of the tribe,” Aloy admitted, expecting Rost to get annoyed. Instead, the man chuckled.

“I believe that I would perhaps prefer the same as you,” Rost smiled softly, gesturing to Aloy to start reading the information provided for her.

“‘Witches and Wizards are people with the innate ability…’”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I hoped that you enjoyed this latest chapter. I would have posted this earlier but my laptop chose to update and I lost half of the work. Most of it I recovered from the sites but un-posted chapters had to be re-written and I had to try and remember everything I've written. Thanks Word!
> 
> Again I hope you're enjoying the story so far. Thank you to everyone that had given kudos, has bookmarked or subscribed to the story. All reviews/coments are always welcome (good, constructive, magical or mundane).

**Author's Note:**

> Cross-posted at ff.net. First time using Ao3 for a Fanfiction, so things are very new and shiny. Regardless I hope that you enjoyed this.


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